Dirigible automatic headlight



L. T. SCHALLER.

' DIRIGIBLE AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT. 7

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12. 1920.

1 ,386 ,957. Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

q 1 1 11 5 W 2 24 I 12 o o p 1 O 15 11 "'7' a ig w 25 7 INVENTOR.

A TTOR/V E VS.

nInrGIBLE Auromirrrc i mqm To all whom itimay concem."

' .Beit known that I, LEON'T. SoHALLnR, a

' vide a'headlight mechanism of'the character described embodying-novel features :of construction to positively and automatically swingthe headlights about a vertical axis simultaneously with any turning of the front wheels ofthevehicleto maintain the light rays directly in. the line -.of travel of the vehicle; to provide such a headlight mechanism which without modification of its parts can be applied to vehicles of different sizes;

to secure a headlight .mechanism which be.

'cupies a minimum-.famount'of space, which can be applied tovarious types-of. vehicles withoutmodificationvof'the vehicles or the headlight mechanism, and which in no way detracts'from the appearance of the vehicle to 'which it isapplied; to obtain a headlight mechanism consisting of a minin'iiun number ofparts, zwhich 1s simple, inexpensive I and durable in construction, and which willlnot easily getyout of repair; toprovide such a mechanism vwhiehris reliable in foperatio'n and which insures theturning of the head lights the proper distance to maintain their projected rays in the proper direction; and

' to obtain other objects and results asmay be brought out by the; following description. Referring to the accompanying'drawings, in which'li'ke numerals 30f reference indicate the same partszthroug-hout the several views, Figure l is a fragmentarytop plan view of an automobile chassis,having a headlight mechanism embodyingzm'y invention applied theretog Specification of Letters Patent. Aug-l9, i921, "Applicationfiled January 12, 1920. Seria1 No."3 50,746. v

2 is an enlarged sectionalview and side elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is the line. 3-3 of Fig-2, with the' lamp removed, and I a Fig.4 is a similar view on thelines of Fig.2.;

In the specific embodiment of the inventlo'n illustrated, the numerals l designate the sidebars of a conventional automobilechassis,--and 2 the front axle of the-vehicle. The frontwheels 3 are-journaled in a conven tio'nal manner-in the forked ends tofthe axle 2 upon steering "knuckles 5, and are adapted to beswung upon th e'knuckles 5 to change the direction of travel of the -vehi-.

a verticalsectional view taken on I Leona. SQI-IALLER, or .rnvrneroitiiinw messy.

cle by means of thesteering arms 6 projecting rearwardlyfrom the knuckles 5 and connected' bya-tie rod 7 which in turngis con- 'anism- (not-shown).

- My headlight mechanism comprises apair of lamps"8 supported in bracket-forksj9 wh ch are rigidly connected to vertical lamp splnd les 1 0 'rotatably mounted i n bearing sleeves 11 secured to angle brackets 12 bolted or otherwise secured to theside bars 1' of the chassis adjacent the forward ends thereof, as at 13. 1 i

cally. receives the other section '18 thereof.

The-opposite end of-sai-d arm 16 is pivotally" connectedat 19 to one end-of a translating g lever 20 pivotally connectedcentralglyfof its length-by averticalcbolt 21-to a'br-ac-ket '22 rigidly secured-'to -the bar 1 ofthechassis,

the opposite endof said translating lever i being pivotally connected at 23 to ione end i v of an arm 24 similar. inconstruction to the lamp; sp1ndle' arm 16. The opposite endof rotatable member or shaft 25 j'ournaled in'a bracket=26 fastened upon the ibar' 1- of the chassis. 'iThis shaft 25 is of sufficient length said arm 24 is -rigidly secured to a vertical 70 nected toa conventional steering post mech y 80 a The lower-end of each of the lamp spindles that its lower end is in substantially horizontal alinement with the tie rod 7 said lower end of the shaft being pivotally connected by a horizontal pivot pin 27 to one end of the tie rod arm 28 similar in construction to the arms 16 and 24, the opposite end of said link 28 being pivotally connected at 29 to a tie rod clamp 30, which is loosely mounted to oscillate on the tie rod 7 and is held against longitudinal movement upon the tie rod by the set collars 31.

I In the operation of the "device, as the tie rod 7 moves one way or the other to swing the wheels 3, the tie rod clamps 30 are moved therewith and cause the tie rod arms 28 to oscillate the operating shafts 25. This movement swings the arms 24- to oscillate the translating levers 20, wihich in turn swing the lamp spindle arms 16 to rotate the lamp spindles and lamps parallel with thewheels 3. The tie rod clamps 30 oscillate on the tie rod and the arms 28 swing vertically about pivot pins 29 to allow for relative vertical movement of the chassis and axle due to the vehicle springs. The distance between the tie rod 7 and shafts 25 is such that the lamps 8 are swung the proper distance and maintained parallel to the wheels 3 as the tie rod 7 moves one way or theother to swing the wheels 3, so that the tie rod arms 28 cause a movement of the lamps equal to the movement of the wheels 3. The action of the arms 24 and 28, and the shaft 25 is in effect the same as a lever pivoted on the bracket 26. The distancesbetween each of the other pivots 23, 21, 19

and lamp spindles 10 are also equal to the length of the tie rod arms 28 so that the degree of movement of the tie rod arms 1s transmitted without multiplication or decrease to the lamp spindles, and the amount of turning of the lamps 8 is thus always equal to the amount of movement of the wheels 3. The various arms 16,24 and 28 are slidably extensible so that oscillation thereof on the pivots is unrestricted and free from binding, the telescoping connections-of the sections of the arms tending to eliminate rattling thereof. It will be noted that the directionof movement of the arms 24 is opposite to thatrequired to turn the lampsin the proper direction, but the translating levers 20 translate this movement into one in the properdirection. Also the translating levers 20-provide for spanning the spacebetween the tie'rods 7 and lamp spindles on vehicles in which the lamps are spaced a distan'ceiahead of the front axle,

I and at the same time provide for proper degree of movement of the lamps. My mechanism comprises a small number of simply constructed parts, and when in normal posit-ion these parts are arranged in substantial alinement so as to occupy a minimum amount of space. The. arms 16, 24 and 28 are interchangeable so as to simplify construction and assembly, and produce a comparatively inexpensive mechanism.

Various modifications and changes may be made in manufacturing my improved headlight by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I do not wish to be understood as restricting myself except as required by the following claims when construed in the 11 ht of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In headlight mechanism for vehicles the combination with a chassis, axle, wheels mounted on steering knuckles upon said axle, and a tie rod connecting-said steering knuckles, of a lamp bracket rotatably mounted upon said chassis, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on said chassis, a member pivotally mounted on said chassis and having oppositely extending arms one of which is pivotally connected to one end of said lever and the other of which is pivotally connected to said tie rod, and an arm on said lamp bracket pivotally connected to the other end of said lever.

2. In headlight mechanism for vehicles, the combination with a chassis, axle, wheels mounted on steering knuckles upon said axle and a tie rod connecting said steering knuckles, of a lamp bracket rotatably mounted upon said chassis, an arm having one end thereof pivotally connected to the tie rod, a rotatable member on said chassis and connected to the opposite end of said arm, a second arm having one end thereof rigidly connected with the said rotatable member, a lever pivoted centrally of its ends upon said chassis and having one end thereof pivotally connected with the free end of said second-mentioned arm, and a third arm having one end thereof connected to said lamp bracket and the opposite end thereof pivotally connected to the other end of said lever,

movement of said tie rod causing oscillation V of the various arms and levers to rotate the lamp bracket parallel with the wheels of the vehicle.

3. In headlight mechanism for vehicles, the combinationwith a chasis, axle, wheels mounted on steering knuckles upon said axle, and a tie rod connecting said steering, knuckles, of a lamp bracket rotatably mounted upon said chassis, an arm. having one. end thereof pivotally connected to said tie rod, said arm being formed in two slidably telescoping sections, a shaft journaled upon said chassis and connected to the opposite end of said arm, a second arm similar in construction to said first-mentioned arm having one end thereof connected to said shaft, a lever pivoted centrally of its length upon said chassis and having one end thereofpivarmbeing connected to the lamp bracket, otally connected to the other end of said secmovement of the tie rod causing oscillation ond-mentioned arm, a third arm similar in of the varions arms and levers to rotate the, '10 construction to said first and second-menlamp bracket parallel With the Wheels of the tioned arms and having one end thereof pivvehicle.

otally connected to the other end of said lever, the opposite end of said third-mentioned LEON T. SCHALLER. 

